explain

/ɪkˈspleɪn/

//ɪkˈspleɪn// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"explain" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“explain” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,365. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,365
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-explain · explain · English

explain · rank #1,365 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,365
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH effects

Nearest frequency peer: effects (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “explain”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “explain” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

explain vs exploit
71% similar
explain vs explained
78% similar
explain vs exclaim
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for explain
PropertyValue
Headwordexplain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspleɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,365
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “explain” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).explainlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “effects” (#1,364), “fully” (#1,366), “effective” (#1,363). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around explain (IPA /ɪkˈspleɪn/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,365 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for explain, with forms such as "epxlain", "exlpain", and "expalin". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "exploit", "explained", "exclaim", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain”), from ex- (“out”) + planō (“to flatten, make level”), from planus (“level, plain”); see plain and plane. Compare esplanade, s… The correct English form is explain, spelled E-X-P-L-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.
  2. 2
    To give the reason for, justification for, or cause of.
  3. 3
    To make flat, smooth out.
  4. 4
    To unfold or make visible.
  5. 5
    To make something plain or intelligible.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how explain appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The issue was explained to the governor in detail.
  2. The boy became volubly friendly and bubbling over with unexpected humour and high spirits. He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance. Nobody would miss them, he explained.

Etymology

From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain”), from ex- (“out”) + planō (“to flatten, make level”), from planus (“level, plain”); see plain and plane. Compare esplanade, splanade. Displaced Old English reċċan.

Synonyms

expoundelaboraterecceelucidatebring homeabsolveclarifydescribedirectdiscloseexplainillustrateinforminstructjustifyspecifyteachunraveluntangleupsolve

Antonyms

obscure

This word in other languages

explicar(Español)expliquer(Français)erklären(Deutsch)explicar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • epxlain
  • exlpain
  • expalin
  • explainn
  • explani
  • explian
  • expllain
  • expplain
  • exxplain
  • xeplain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of explain - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

epxlain2exlpain2expalin2explainn1explani2explian2expllain1expplain1
Edit distance from "explain"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "explain"?
"explain" is spelled E-X-P-L-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspleɪn/.
What does "explain" mean?
As a verb, "explain" means: To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to illustrate the meaning of.
What words are commonly confused with "explain"?
"explain" is commonly confused with "exploit", "explained", "exclaim". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "explain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "explain" is /ɪkˈspleɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "explain"?
From Middle English explanen, from Old French explaner, from Latin explanō (“to flatten, spread out, make plain or clear, explain”), from ex- (“out”) + planō (“to flatten, make level”), from planus (“level, plain”); see plain and plane. Compare es... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "explain", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

effects#1,364holding#1,368captain#1,359parties#1,373

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

highly10 variantsreality10 variantsplanning10 variantsmachine10 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "explain". Here's where to go from here.

  • "explain" maps to 3 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "exploit". View pair
  • 10 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,365 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "E" letter cohort. E–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list